Sue Bradford Edwards's Blog, page 171
April 1, 2019
Writer Beware
If you are looking into publication or searching for an agent, you should know about Writer Beware. In 1998, Writer Beware was founded by Ann Crispin (A.C. Crispin) and Victoria Straus. Interestingly enough, Straus says that she was never scammed but she is aware of just how lucky this makes her. She came into writing […]
March 31, 2019
Surprise! When Life Interrupts Your Writing Schedule
Today, I am at the county court house waiting to see if I will have jury duty. Show up by 8:30. Plan to be here all day Monday and Tuesday. And if you’re assigned to a trial, we will tell you then how long it will take. So what do you do when the world […]
March 28, 2019
Creativity: Flexing Your Muscle
I am currently drafting my second 15,000 word manuscript in two months. I know, I know. To a novelist, that number is pretty ho-hum. But I’ve been doing other work as well and I’ve noticed my energy ebbing. Then the beads that I had ordered arrived. I was making a necklace for my sister’s birthday. […]
March 27, 2019
Titles: A Contract with Your Reader
Lately I have noticed a trend in misleading titles. Yesterday I clicked on something like “Why I am Breaking Up with Twitter.” The first paragraph was about how the author has never had a Twitter account. Um . . . what? You can’t break up with someone or something you’ve never had a relationship with. […]
March 26, 2019
Facts: The Devil Is in the Details
My husband tells me that I’m a pill. My standards are just too high. But I hate it when an author or illustrator gets a fact wrong. If I don’t know you, I will put your book aside. That’s it. I don’t need any more of that nightmarish experience. If I know your work and […]
March 25, 2019
Characterization: Making Them Truly, Irritatingly 3-D
Getting out in the world can be a great lesson for a writer. Among other things, it reminds us how complex our characters should be if they are going to seem realistic. Last week, my husband and I ran into another couple out in the country. He had met them before but I hadn’t. Or […]
March 24, 2019
Finding Reliable Sources
Last week, we went down to the lake for a few days. By “lake,” I don’t mean a big, commercial lake with fast boats and water skis. Nope. This is a little, rural home for fish, turtles and other assorted wildlife. It is part of an outdoor sports club (think hunting and fishing). In addition […]
March 21, 2019
E-Books: Why Young Readers Love Them
I may be the last person on the planet who doesn’t like reading on a screen. But I don’t. I think it is simply because I work on a screen and when I relax I want something different. But I was watching an interview the other day and the person was discussing why so many […]
March 20, 2019
Inspiration to Write
Its always interesting to hear from other writers which childhood books/authors inspired them to write themselves. I had many authors I loved and many books. Meg Mysteries. Marguerite Henry. The first Box Car Children book. The Little House books. Marguerite de Angeli’s Jared’s Island. A book of children’s poetry that included “Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.” But […]
March 19, 2019
Shrunken Manuscript: The Nonfiction Proposal
This week, I decided to try something new in terms of a shrunken manuscript. I did it with a nonfiction proposal. I don’t know about you, but when I write a proposal it is easy to get lost in the details. A friend pointed out that I needed to keep my slant front and center. […]
